I decided to do my on campus observations at the Commuter Lounge. I never was here and was interested in finding out more information about it. The Commuter Lounge is located on the ground floor of the Student Service Center. It's a place where commuters to go between their classes. These students do not have dorms to go back to, so this lounge provides them with a place to go. The students here can use this area to study, relax, and socialize. The lounge also contains a microwave, refrigerator, and soda machines for the students to use. Many of the students I observed were talking to their friends. Some of them were doing work while others seemed to be relaxing in the large comfortable chairs. Many of the students here seemed to know each other and talked in large groups. It seemed like a place to go just to hang out. I talked to one student who would go to the lounge only if completely necessary. She said she would rather study at home and did not enjoy going to the commuter lounge. However another student I talked to said that he went everyday. He enjoyed catching up with his friends here, many who he went to high school with. The commuters seemed to know each other. Many grew up in the surrounding areas of Bloomsburg and went to school together or played sports against each other. When I was here I felt a little out of place. None of the students here seemed interested in socializing with a new person.
What does the data you collect suggest to you about college life?
This data shows that students tend to hang out with kids who they already know. When looking at this one part of college life, it seems that students do not find it necessary to make new friends. They are comfortable hanging out with the kids they already know. However we must not judge college life on this one finding. In my own experience I have two very close friends who commute. It depends on the person and what they involve themselves in. Although the kids in the commuter lounge chose to hang out with the students they already know, we can not make assumptions and say that these are the only kids they hang out with. These student may have made new friends who they interact with at different times.
Bloomsburg University Commuter Lounge
I decided to do my on campus observations at the Commuter Lounge. I never was here and was interested in finding out more information about it. The Commuter Lounge is located on the ground floor of the Student Service Center. It's a place where commuters to go between their classes. These students do not have dorms to go back to, so this lounge provides them with a place to go. The students here can use this area to study, relax, and socialize. The lounge also contains a microwave, refrigerator, and soda machines for the students to use. Many of the students I observed were talking to their friends. Some of them were doing work while others seemed to be relaxing in the large comfortable chairs. Many of the students here seemed to know each other and talked in large groups. It seemed like a place to go just to hang out. I talked to one student who would go to the lounge only if completely necessary. She said she would rather study at home and did not enjoy going to the commuter lounge. However another student I talked to said that he went everyday. He enjoyed catching up with his friends here, many who he went to high school with. The commuters seemed to know each other. Many grew up in the surrounding areas of Bloomsburg and went to school together or played sports against each other. When I was here I felt a little out of place. None of the students here seemed interested in socializing with a new person.
What does the data you collect suggest to you about college life?
This data shows that students tend to hang out with kids who they already know. When looking at this one part of college life, it seems that students do not find it necessary to make new friends. They are comfortable hanging out with the kids they already know. However we must not judge college life on this one finding. In my own experience I have two very close friends who commute. It depends on the person and what they involve themselves in. Although the kids in the commuter lounge chose to hang out with the students they already know, we can not make assumptions and say that these are the only kids they hang out with. These student may have made new friends who they interact with at different times.